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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Oct 6.
Published in final edited form as: Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 2020 Jun 6;54:24–31. doi: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2020.06.008

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, replication in humans, and induction of pulmonary fibre-inflammation and organ failure. SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 may originate from the primary host bats or unknown secondary hosts and cross the species barrier to humans. The spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 binds to the cell surface receptor ACE2 and the enzyme TMPRSS2, which aid the virion entry. The virion releases its RNA, part of which is translated into proteins. Proteins and the RNA are assembled into a new virion in the Golgi and released. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 induces immune cell infiltration that promotes inflammatory cytokine storms and multi-organ failure via the acute respiratory distress syndrome.